Neural bases of consciousness in Zen meditation: central executive and default mode networks during cognitive conflict.
Naoyuki Osaka, Takehiro Minamoto, Ken Yaoi, Miyuki Azuma, Mariko Osaka
Frontiers in Psychology April 10, 2026 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1774227 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Zen monks with extensive meditation experience and a control group without meditation background |
| Intervention | Zen meditation |
| Topics | Default mode network Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Consciousness Self recognition Stroop test Central executive network Attention control Zen meditation |
| Key findings | Zen meditation performed by skilled monks improved cognitive control and reduced cognitive conflict in the lateral and medial prefrontal cortices compared to non-meditators. |
Abstract
Consciousness in Zen meditation has garnered considerable interest in psychology and neuroscience, particularly in relation to its association with enhanced self-awareness. Zen meditation fosters social harmony by addressing mental and social conflicts, linking individuals to various societal aspects through the practice. This meditation, rooted in Buddhism, aims to perceive thoughts without judgment by attentively focusing on the present. However, the neural mechanisms behind its benefits have remained elusive. To investigate, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging on two groups: Zen monks with extensive meditation experience (average 7.53 years) and a control group without meditation background. Both groups completed the Stroop cognitive conflict task followed by meditation. Zen meditation, when performed by skilled monks, improved responses and cognitive control, and reduced cognitive conflict in the lateral and medial prefrontal cortices compared to the control group. Conflict tasks are generally associated with increased activity in the central executive network (CEN), whereas activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, a core component of the default mode network (DMN), has been linked to internally oriented processes such as self-referential thought and mind-wandering. The involvement of the DMN during meditation, however, appears to depend on the specific meditation style and cognitive state, with prior studies reporting mixed findings. These networks are often considered to exhibit an antagonistic relationship, with task engagement typically accompanied by CEN activation and concurrent DMN suppression. However, Stroop conflict trials in the present study did not show a strong inverse relationship between DMN and CEN activity. Instead, connectivity analyses indicated suppression within DMN-related regions.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |
Citations in the library
Cites 22
- Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders American Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1992
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 28, 2007
- 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis Neuron May 10, 2023
and 17 more in the library